Exercise

Step 1: Describe in one sentence what the main character in your song wants to say and how they feel about it. This is your song thesis. 

 

Step 2: Throughout the writing process of the actual lines, refer back to this sentence (your song thesis). This will help prevent your lyrics from drifting away from the concept.

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Theory

A song thesis is one sentence that describes de main idea or message of your song. "If you can write out one sentence that explains what your song is about (…), you’re on the right track to the kind of clarity and focus needed in a good song. Refer back to your thesis sentence often to make sure the words you’re coming up with still support your initial concept. If your words start taking you in a different direction, it could be a sign you need to change your thesis. You may have two separate songs to write" (Dummies, 2016). Additionally, it's important to keep the concept of your song small. Write about one idea with one emotion: "Effective lyrics are crafted in such a way that listeners can clearly understand the story and/or feel the emotion the writer intended to evoke. (…) Ideally, you should be able to express the idea of your song in one sentence, and the lyric needs to stick to that focus. (…) Evoking emotion in your listener is the ultimate goal of songwriting. (…) To clearly convey the desired emotion, your entire song should express the same emotion. Your “canvas” is too small to contain varying emotions in different sections. From the opening lines of your first verse, the listener should have no doubt what it is the singer is feeling" (Blume, 2008, p. 42). 

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Sources

• Bell, E. (2017) The Art of Songwriting: How to Create, Think and Live Like a Songwriter. New York: The Song Foundry.

• Blume, J. (2008) Six Steps to Songwriting Success: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs. 3rd edn. New York: Billboard Books.

• Dummies. (2016) Coming Up with Concepts for Songs. Available at: https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/music/voice/coming-up-with-concepts-for-songs-199512/ (Accessed: 19 December 2025).

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